There were several changes to the
VFL–AFL reserves affiliations prior to the 2003 season: • , which had been partially affiliated with
Port Melbourne, withdrew from having any connection with the VFL, instead electing to field a standalone reserves team in the
AFL Canberra competition. Sydney broke off the affiliation with one year left on the contract, prompting a lawsuit from Port Melbourne. • The , after spending the previous three years using the
Murray Kangaroos as its VFL-affiliate, became affiliated with Port Melbourne. The Murray Kangaroos club, which had been a joint venture operation between the Kangaroos and the
Ovens & Murray Football League, dropped out of the VFL and folded. • , which had been fielding its
reserves team in the VFL, became affiliated with the
Northern Bullants. The Carlton reserves withdrew from the VFL. • , which had been fielding its
reserves team in the VFL, became affiliated with
Bendigo. Under the affiliation, Bendigo adopted Essendon's black and red guernsey, and changed its nickname from
Diggers to
Bombers. The Essendon reserves withdrew from the VFL. As a result of the changes, the VFL was reduced from sixteen teams to thirteen. was now the only one of the ten Victorian AFL clubs left fielding its own reserves team in the VFL, with nine clubs in VFL-AFL affiliations. ==Ladder==